Basquet Girona played in its first-ever FIBA Europe Cup today, and Gate City’s Mac McClung had a pivotal role in Girona winning the encounter, defeating Dinamo Bucharest 87-75.
McClung poured in 18 points in the European competition debut for Girona. McClung played 22 minutes, shooting 6-for-11 from the field including one made 3-pointer. McClung also had three rebounds, two assists, and a steal.
Former NBA All-Star Marc Gasol owns Basquet Girona, a club he founded in 2014 and initially only competed at the youth level. Girona progressed to Liga ACB, the top professional league in Spain, in 2022. Girona qualified for the Europe Cup based on the strong finish in the Liga ACB last season.
Girona currently is 1-1 in the Liga, where its next game is Saturday.
Pro Football
Jaden Keller (Bristol/Tennessee High/Virginia Tech) made his NFL debut on Sunday for the New York Jets. Keller got called up from the practice squad and made one tackle as the Jets fell to the Bears. Keller is the first Tennessee High alum to ever appear in an NFL regular-season game.
Former ETSU DB Alijah Huzzie has a new pro home. Huzzie, who finished his college career with North Carolina, signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday. The Jags added Huzzie, who had been on the Houston Texans’ practice squad, to their 53-man roster after weathering two other injuries at cornerback.
TE Nate Adkins (ETSU/South Carolina) has four catches for 40 yards through three games, with two of the receptions for touchdowns. Adkins did not make a catch in Sunday’s loss at San Francisco.
Another ETSU product, RB Jacob Saylors has yet to log a carry or reception for the Detroit Lions. Saylors has been in on two tackles in kick coverage, and continues to see work in the return game, returning nine kickoffs for 229 yards.
TE James Mitchell (Big Stone Gap/Union/Virginia Tech) is still on the practice squad for the Cowboys.
Pro Basketball
Ja’Kobi Gillespie (Greeneville) currently is going through training camp with the San Antonio Spurs. Gillespie, who became the highest-selected NBA Draft pick ever from the region, was taken in the second round back in June after wrapping his collegiate career with a strong final season at Tennessee. The Spurs open their preseason schedule Thursday, at home, against the Atlanta Hawks.
College Football
With the college season approaching its midpoint, we thought we’d take a look at how former ETSU players are faring at their new schools.
Three Bucs ended up at James Madison, where former ETSU offensive coordinator Cam Aiken is now the play caller for Billy Napier. The ETSU players now at JMU include TE Cole Keller, who has 12 catches for 163 yards and three TDs this season; long snapper Hayden Ross, who’s seen the field in five games; and OL Frankie Tinilau, who’s appeared in four games thus far in 2026 for the Dukes.
DL Kaven Call (Middle Tennessee) has started four of five games, racking up eight tackles with one stop for loss.
Safety Ryan Barrett (Stony Brook) has started four games, tallying 23 total tackles, 2.5 stops for loss, and breaking up four passes.
DL Dailen Howard (Tulsa) has appeared in three games for the Golden Hurricane, making two tackles and logging a QB hurry.
DB Tywan Royal (Austin Peay) has 14 tackles, a forced fumble, a QB hurry, and a pass breakup through the Govs’ first six games.
OL Johnathan Cline (Miami) only has appeared in one game for the Hurricanes, on Sept. 10 against Florida A&M.
As for the current ETSU team, Kingsport brothers Charlie Browder and Sam Browder remain fixtures on the offense, starting at tight end and left tackle, respectively. Mason Ball of Elizabethton has been a regular on the defensive line, with seven tackle assists through six games. Ball has started three games. Redshirt freshman LB Drew Armbrister (Greeneville) has appeared in five games and true freshman OL Tyler Grizzle (Kingsport/Dobyns-Bennett) in one.
Elsewhere in college football, senior WR Carson Jenkins (Gate City) has appeared in four games for William & Mary, making four catches for 70 yards and a touchdown. Nearly all of that total came in the season opener, a win over Villanova, where Jenkins had three grabs for 69 yards and a TD.
Freshman OL Nick Youmans (Gate City) has appeared in all five games to date for Campbell, which has climbed to No. 17 in the Stats Perform Top 25.
On the other end of the experience spectrum, fifth-year OL Justice Musser (Bristol/Tennessee High) has seen the field in every game thus far for Indiana State.
Jaren Sensabaugh, the son of former Kingsport, Dobyns-Bennett, ETSU standout, and NFL DB Gerald Sensabaugh, is a defensive back at NC State. He’s appeared in five games, making 14 total tackles with an interception and two passes defended.
TE Corbin Laisure (Johnson City/Sullivan East/Science Hill) is midway through his sophomore year at Colorado. He’s appeared in three games this season and has yet to register a catch.
Women’s Soccer
Tennessee junior GK Cayden Norris (Johnson City/Science Hill) saw a nine-match unbeaten streak between the pipes end, as Tennessee lost back to back, 3-1 against Vanderbilt on Sept. 27 and 1-0 against Auburn on Oct. 1. The Lady Vols return to action Friday in a road match at No. 11 South Carolina.
The ETSU women’s soccer team had a four-match win streak, all in Southern Conference play, end with a 2-0 loss at home to Samford on Sunday. Kassie Estep (Jonesborough/Daniel Boone) returned to the starting lineup for that match after missing the Oct. 1 fixture at Western Carolina due to injury. We profiled Estep last month as part of our Next Level Locals series.
Other locals on the Bucs roster who’ve seen the pitch include:
- Sophomore Ava Flanary (Kingsport/Dobyns-Bennett), 9 appearances, 119 total minutes, 2 shots, 1 shot on goal
- Junior Hannah Dawson (Johnson City/Science Hill), 10 appearances, 180 minutes, 1 shot, 1 shot on goal
- Sophomore Ary Patterson (Johnson City/Tennessee High), 8 appearances, 135 minutes
- Senior Megan Burleson (Johnson City/Science Hill), 4 appearances, 34 minutes